Lecture "Where is the OUtrage? Critical Pedagogy in Dark Times" (Sixth Task)

Critical Commentary

Critical thinking is kind of banned according to this theory of pedagogy. Since every industry needs are more important than the economy itself, it is very important for educational institutions to provide and please those companies with the “demand” they have. In this sense, larger corporate and market driven forces control the educational system by stating which job is important and which one is irrelevant for society. Therefore, Universities would graduate only scientists, engineers and business people as an answer to this demand. Public schools would be done away, as well as social sciences, arts and all of those ones considered useless when producing money. In other words, there is a kind of mattress for the economy, which is all the engineering, medicine, business sectors, the rest are social sciences and arts, which are the top of the pyramid here, but what would happen if they disappear? Well, studies according to human behavior, the human mind, social relationships, the way people process information and much more would be aside, unimportant, “useless”. That’s is why the role of critical pedagogy in the traditional spheres of schooling and in contemporary politics is so important. This aims at improving the quality of education we are provided. Critical pedagogy is basically a social movement that has bases on critical theories and related traditions in education and the study of culture. In this regards, the nature of culture is remarkable since it has shaped entire societies. The way people think is because of the culture they are in. Indeed, politics are done within the frame of culture, by stating what is illegal and what is not. In this sense, teachers must work as public intellectuals not avoiding critical perspectives in the classroom. Making students aware of what is actually happening outside the classroom framework.